The inventive concept relates generally to electronic memory technologies. More particularly, certain embodiments of the inventive concept relate to memory systems having a variable operating voltage and related methods of operation.
In general, the operation of a semiconductor chip may be affected by environmental factors, such as variations in both the internal and external conditions of the chip. Example factors that may affect the operation of a semiconductor chip include temperature variation, operating voltage variations, initial process variations, and resistance variation.
The above variations may contribute to operational errors and performance degradation. Moreover, these variations can have a larger impact in devices where operating margins are relatively tight, e.g., in memory devices high integration density or high speed operation. Accordingly, in an effort to maintain reliability and performance, researchers continue to develop new techniques for addressing changes in operating conditions of devices such as those typically implemented in semiconductor chips.